Introducing the new Liftshare Companion app

We’ve taken the chance to focus on what really matters. We’ve learnt that our app no longer needs to do everything, particularly as our site has improved hugely since the launch of our first app.

Messaging was identified as the most valuable service from the existing app, and the most used. Users have told us that it was too easy to miss emails we sent them in amongst their busy inboxes, so they’d prefer push notifications and an instant messaging system.

Indeed, ‘conversational commerce’ is a growing trend, with consumers increasingly liking to talk through their buying decisions before they commit. Here at Liftshare we’re no different, and we even go one step further – encouraging people to message and get to know each other before they agree to share a journey. Messaging in general is the most popular function of smartphones now, with applications like Whatsapp facilitating 30 billion messages every day. Calling is often no longer what phones are for!

The Liftshare Companion app offers an instant messaging system for members, as well as an easy way to request and confirm your shared trip, both as a driver or as a passenger. This ‘minimalistic’ approach allows us to start simple, offering exactly what members and clients have asked for, and then add in additional functionality as updates are released. This is a ‘Companion’ app because is not meant to have all the features available on the website, but to help members once they’ve found a match.

2 responses to “Introducing the new Liftshare Companion app”

Oh guys.
I was so disappointed to see your app stopped back today. I appreciate at least being able to voice that here.
I’m a big fan of LiftShare and the ethos of it (though recently have found a very low success rate in getting lifts that have been offered..I started asking them why they were all declining or not replying. Certainly from my UX experience, I’d recommend adding a ‘response rate’ counter to people’s profiles & offers, so I don’t hold an unrealistic expectation of someone with a track record of slow responding)

The main thing I used your app for was searching for lifts. It’s much faster than opening my web browser and navigating to your website.

Reading your post made me feel alone because I know your user community well enough to know we’re not as excited by removing this feature from your app and can tell there’s something else going on. I’d appreciate more honesty and openness about the situation.

I still really want LiftShare to succeed, but I think sharing problems/ challenges earlier with your users (especially more passionate ones like me) and inviting us to help you/ give ideas/ at least be more in the loop rather than getting unpleasant surprises would really help foster trust and belonging.